TV motion smoothing and motion sickness: why it happens and how to turn it off
Motion smoothing adds interpolated frames between the real ones to make movement look ultra fluid, and that hyper-real look, the soap opera effect, reads as wrong to the visual system and can trigger nausea on panning shots. Turning it off restores the motion cadence your eyes expect, and every major brand has a setting for it.
TV and monitors 路 Built-in setting available
Key facts
- Motion smoothing interpolates extra frames so motion looks ultra fluid, and that soap opera effect can trigger nausea on panning shots.
- Every major brand lets you turn it off: Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL Roku, Roku and Vizio each have a setting.
- The Samsung, Sony, TCL Roku and Roku paths are verified at first-party or official sources; the LG and Vizio paths come from strong third-party guides and vary by model year.
Try Dizzout free. Free, drug-free, designed to help after symptoms start, through the headphones already in your bag.Free 路 works with any headphones 路 no account to try
Free to try, no card needed. Or go straight to the App Store or Google Play.
Why motion smoothing feels wrong
Motion smoothing inserts extra frames between the real ones so movement looks unnaturally fluid. The result, the soap opera effect, is hyper-real motion that reads as wrong to your visual system and can produce nausea and unease, especially on slow pans. Switching it off puts back the motion cadence your eyes are used to.
What actually helps
Where the setting lives
- Samsung
Settings > Picture > Expert Settings > Auto Motion Plus Settings (older) or Picture Clarity Settings (newer) > Off - Sony
HOME > Settings > Display > Picture > Motionflow > Off - TCL Roku TV
Press Star on the remote > Picture settings > Advanced picture settings > Action Smoothing > Off - Roku TV
Press Star during playback > Picture settings > Advanced picture settings > Action Smoothing > Off - LG
Settings > All Settings > Picture > Advanced Settings > Clarity > TruMotion > OffFrom strong third-party guides rather than a first-party page, and the exact menu varies by model year. - Vizio
Menu > Picture > (Advanced) Reduce Judder and Reduce Blur to 0, or Motion Control offFrom strong third-party guides rather than a first-party page, and the exact menu varies by model year.
- Turn off your maker's motion-smoothing setting using the path above for your brand.
- If a panning shot in a film or sports broadcast is what gets you, that is the setting to reach for first.
- Menus change yearly and vary by model, so if the exact wording is different on your set, look for a picture setting with smoothing, judder or motion in the name.
- All paths here were checked as of August 2026.
Already feeling it right now?
Stop the nausea
Screens set it off, but the fix for this moment is off-screen. Put your headphones in, open Dizzout and tap play. Drug-free sound therapy designed to help once symptoms have started, in about 90 seconds. No pills, no drowsiness.
Free to try, no card needed. Or go straight to the App Store or Google Play.
On a computer? Dizzout installs on your phone. Scan the code, or open dizzout.com/get on your phone and it'll take you straight to the right store.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my new TV make me feel motion sick?+
Most likely motion smoothing, which many TVs turn on by default. It adds interpolated frames to make movement look ultra fluid, and that hyper-real soap opera effect reads as wrong to your visual system, especially on slow pans, which can bring on nausea. Turning it off in the picture settings usually fixes it.
How do I turn off motion smoothing?+
It depends on the brand. On Samsung it is Auto Motion Plus or Picture Clarity, on LG it is TruMotion, on Sony it is Motionflow, and on TCL Roku and Roku TVs it is Action Smoothing under the advanced picture settings. On Vizio, set Reduce Judder and Reduce Blur to 0. Menus change by model year, so look for a setting with smoothing, judder or motion in the name.
More screen triggers
Related
Sources & further reading
- https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10006969
- https://support.tcl.com/en_US/rokutv-troubleshooting/troubleshooting-motion-issues-on-your-tcl-roku-tv
- https://support.roku.com/article/115007128487
- https://helpguide.sony.net/apmig/bravia_i-manuals/GA/en/nx710/mflow.html
- https://www.trustedreviews.com/how-to/turn-motion-smoothing-off-on-lg-tvs-4543910
- https://www.howtogeek.com/402233
Your next question, probably
- What is cybersickness, exactly?The screen version of motion sickness
- Does your phone have a setting?iPhone, Samsung and Pixel, compared
- Is it your screen or your headset?Flat-screen vs VR sickness
- Feeling it right now?The 60-second protocol
- Planning an actual trip?A dated checklist that unlocks as departure nears
Settings paths were checked at the makers' own support pages and at MDN as of August 2026, where a first-party source exists; the rest is labelled reported and dated. Device menus change with software updates and vary by model, so your own settings menu is the final word. Apple, Samsung, Sony, LG, TCL, Roku, Vizio, Amazon, TikTok, Instagram, Google and DJI are trademarks of their respective owners; Dizzout is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Sensitivity varies from person to person; this page is informational and not medical advice.